Humphrey Makussa : For a long time now, traders and
business people in the country have been doing everything to maximize their
profits without considering possible economic and health impact of their
actions towards their customers. Unfortunately, the government does not seem to
address this issue seriously.
For instance, right now there is
an influx of the fake vehicle spare parts all over the country. Use of these
has accelerated accidents resulting into destruction of life and property.
Similarly, our market is dented
with fake electronic goods such as televisions, radios, mobile phones, switches
and electric cables as well as substandard cosmetics and drugs.
Greedy entrepreneurs go to an
extent of selling expired products without considering the possible health
effects to the consumers. This happens despite having standards and quality
assurance departments.
This negligence has made many
lose confidence in the goods in the market since it is hard to tell the fake
from the genuine. Mushrooming of these fake products is a threat to honest
genuine business.
Because the authorities fail to
sustain pressure to eradicate the illegal business, the uncouth traders
continue to exploit vulnerable citizens.
The malady has also spread to
small entrepreneurs like food and vegetable vendors. If you dare buy onions,
tomatoes or potatoes sold along the roads, it’s not surprising to find half the
product rotten. Even at the butchery they have learnt to manipulate the
weighing machine.
Few years ago, we used to hear of
traders who used to sell kerosene laced with diesel. Nowadays, oil dealers have
mastered the art of stealing litres of oil from unsuspecting customers by
adjusting the oil pumps. Others mix diesel, petrol and kerosene and sell it to
vulnerable consumers, resulting in destruction of their machines and vehicles.
These are events we have come to
accept as normal occurrences, simply because someone is sleeping on their jobs.
Mixing these substances is a
grave issue that should urgently be addressed to avert impending danger to both
humans and machines.
It’s encouraging to see that the
issue has already been discussed in parliament, after it came out that the
trans-border transporters are engaging in the said crime.
We
must as a nation arrest this offense soon enough in order to maintain our
business integrity especially among the countries that use Dar es Salaam port,
such as Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda and Burundi. Some of these countries including
Uganda have threatened avoid the port if this is not settled.
This
is a shameful to our nation. It’s not only likely to cause revenue loss but
also affect the transportation business. It can also easily strain the good
relationship our country enjoys with her landlocked countries.
Those
in oil transportation business should also prevail on their wayward colleagues
and drivers to desist from such illegal activities since it will jeopardize
their trade.
Above
all, the government should enforce strict measures to suppress it, if
necessary, cancelling their business licenses.